Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison–even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

MY THOUGHTS…

I honestly didn’t expect too much about Scarlet because I didn’t kind of like Cinder (the first book), but I have to give credits to Marissa Meyer because in this second installment, the story did improve and it’s surprisingly better than Cinder.

This book introduces new characters namely Scarlet, Wolf, and Captain Thorne. At first, I couldn’t quite connect with these characters because I guess their personalities were not well-described. It wasn’t until halfway of the book when I finally got their pictures.

I admit I was bored at the beginning chapters. I couldn’t get what’s happening and the plot seemed dull. But believe me, the book finally drew me in during the last parts and it held my interest throughout, thankfully. I was about to rate it 2 or 3 but the twist and the surprises changed my mind. Well, basically this book earned my respect and admiration.

What I think about the characters…

Cinder. She’s basically annoying. ALL. THE. TIME. I just don’t like how she chooses to make cowardly decisions. She’s also acting like a brat sometimes. Nothing’s really changed with her attitude since the first book.

And Scarlet? Well, I kind of like her character. She’s brave and very determined to fight.

I also think Wolf is a great book character, although he’s too quiet. But I admire how he protects Scarlet and how he cares for her in a silent way.

And Prince Kai? Well, I can’t decide if I still like him. I don’t know. He didn’t appeal much to me this time. He doesn’t act like a real emperor and his decisions are often controlled by Torin and the rest of the people around him.

All in all, the book is great. I just wish I didn’t get bored during the first half of it. But otherwise it was well-written. No questions about Marissa Meyer’s writing style. It’s clean and sophisticated. 🙂

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

MY THOUGHTS…

I have high expectations with Cinder, especially that most of my goodreads friends really love it. I found this book really promising since I’ve never encountered a cyborg character before and for me, it’s something that I won’t ever forget. But then, I guess I expected way too much. I tried. Honestly. But it didn’t really meet my expectations. *sigh*

However, there are factors that also make this book wonderful. I love Marissa Meyer’s imagination. I love how she created a lively concept of a dystopian world. Cybors. Androids. Insanely high technology. Lunars. New world after world war IV. Wow! I mean, the concept is really impressive.

But in the long run, I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t expect myself to develop annoyance with the main character Cinder. I love her character, I love how unique she is as a cyborg, but when it comes to the way she acts, I kind of dislike her. There is no consistency with her emotions. I’m upset how vulnerable she is whenever her stepmother and stepsister is around. But whenever she’s with the Prince, she’s so firm with her decisions to say ‘NO’ every time. She always declines the prince’s invitation and she’s acting so difficult like ugh! I also don’t like the way she’s acting like a brat to Dr. Erland when this man is the only person who can give her much information about her past. There are also times when she jokes around and for me it sounds like a sarcasm. No, I don’t like her personality at all.

Prince Kai, however, is a nice character. I love how tough he is when it comes to decision-making. He doesn’t even feel scared with the Lunar Queen. So, yeah, thank goodness he’s not annoying.

During the first chapters, I really hoped that something great will happen in the long run. Um, I don’t know but the twist– that wasn’t what I’ve expected. Well, maybe on the second book everything will turn out great. And hopefully Cinder’s character will improve by then. 🙂

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